Ok, just rewatched the game (ignore me if you don't care) and here are a few specific player and broader team takeaways.
Players
1. Amari McNeil is an underrated interior pass rusher and needs to see the field more
2. Bentley was good to great against the run. He is a solid player.
3. I counted 3 TFLs for Woods, one of which could have been counted as a sack, and thought he actually played pretty well outside of the WTF coverage play on the opening drive.
4. I thought Offerdahl was fine. Of course he's not special or very dynamic, but he runs hard and is generally reliable. Not sure he's going to hold up in pass protection.
5. Hayden showed a few flashes, but generally I thought he missed a few big opportunities in the run game
6. I'm hoping Benson is still not 100% healthy because I thought he was mediocre at best, and was the main culprit on back to back plays that got stuffed on 3rd and 4th and 1
7. Nwankwo was the defensive MVP and this defense is going to go as far as he can take them. Guy was controlling his gaps perfectly, getting great push in the middle and arguably made the defensive play of the game with his sack.
Team
1. I actually thought the OL controlled the LOS most of the game. Of course the rushing stats don't show it, but there were huge holes created multiple times. I think there's hope in the run game, but they have to get more creative and consistent with their playcalling. Can't keep running draws and straight handoffs from Shotgun and expecting it to work.
2. I also thought our DL completely controlled the LOS and they actually got a lot more pressure than I originally thought. Problem was not being able to finish and allowing Miller to scramble (obviously)
3. It's been said, but it can't be reiterated enough, IMO... Take away a bonehead offsides penalty and the fluky INT where the unathleticism of the NDSU defender actually saved what would have been a TD (defender just falls down and Wester would have been wide open) and created the INT, and the final score is something like 38-22 and the narrative is entirely different.
I feel fine about playing that "what if" game with those two plays because they had nothing to do with our talent or coaching and drastically change the outcome and perception.
End of the day, I have come away feeling a lot better about this team.
Also, here was the missed Targeting call on Shedeur on the last drive that should have resulted in a first down and the end of the game, so
@Passerby can **** right off with the missed targeting on NDSU's final drive.